Today is International Women’s Day, a holiday in some places and completely ignored in others. Sometimes it’s a day of protest, sometimes a day to celebrate womanhood, and sometimes both. And, before you wonder when International Men’s Day is, that’s not what we’re here to talk about. We’re here to shine a well deserved light, interview-style, on two of Blubrry’s amazing employees, MacKenzie Bennett and Lena Taupier. They’re integral parts of the team that brings you world-class podcast hosting, IAB Tech Lab Certified podcast stats, and the ubiquitous PowerPress WordPress podcasting plugin.
MacKenzie is Services and Affiliates Coordinator at RawVoice, parent company of Blubrry.
Lena is Lead Software Developer at RawVoice.
Blubrry (B): thanks for taking some time. I know you have plenty to do, so let’s just jump right in. Are you a podcaster?
MacKenzie Bennett (MB): I am, for Blubrry. Outside of work, I don’t have a podcast, maybe one day.
Lena Taupier (LT): No, but I have become a podcast addict.
B: What’s your show show called?
MB: I host the PowerPress Podcast. It’s you guessed it, pretty meta, and all about podcasting news and Blubrry podcasters.
B: How long have you been podcasting?
MB: it’s been about three and a half, four years, now.
B: Why did you get into it?
MB: When I started at Blubrry four years ago I had never been on a podcast. They wanted to me to host with a fresh, unbiased perspective.
LT: I had listened to a couple of episodes here and there over the years but it wasn’t until I started working at Blubrry that I truly became a podcast addict.
B: What’s your favorite thing about podcasting?
MB: People. I interview guests on almost every episode and each time I get to learn about their show and discuss what is new and fun (or awful) in podcasting.
LT: I love that it’s such an open medium where literally anyone who has an interest in a particular area can start creating content that others can consume. I also appreciate how easy it is to listen on the go. Nowadays there’s nothing I’d rather be doing on long drives than listening to my favorite podcasts!
B: Speaking of, what are your current favorite podcasts and why?
LT: Freakonomics – This show explores a wide variety of topics, from the cost/benefit of having 6,500+ languages in the world, to the parking problem in America. I really love numbers and statistics and the hosts do a great good job of gathering data to backup their findings so it’s really interesting. Snap Judgement – This show interviews people from all over the world who have interesting life stories. I am always in awe of the diverse and profound life experiences that I hear about in each episode.
MB: I’m not a subscriber. Rarely will I listen to every episode of shows I love. For that reason, I love series – ones I can’t skip episodes on. Recently finished Happy Face; typical crime show, but sue me for loving to learn about murderers.
B: How long have you been with Blubrry?
MB: 4 years almost to the day! March 9, 2015 was my first day.
LT: 3.5 years and counting!
B: What’s it like working at Blubrry?
LT: It’s very fast-paced and exciting because things are constantly changing due to the nature of the podcast industry. As a software developer, I really enjoy that aspect because it means we get to work on new, exciting projects quite frequently. I also really like that we have an open environment where new ideas are encouraged and we have the flexibility to explore and use new technologies.
MB: Insightful. Constantly learning, but also exciting being part of the new releases, services and changes in the industry.
B: What are you most excited about in the world of podcasting for 2019?
MB: Hard to say at the moment. Edison Research Infinite Dial numbers just came out and I’m surprised how interested I am at looking forward to digging into what is causing listener growth.
LT: I’m excited about all the tools and technologies that are popping up to help make podcasts more discoverable. For example, as AI transcription from audio to text improves, it will become much easier to search through and discover new podcasts based on specific topics.
B: If you could interview anyone (living or dead) for your podcast, who would you choose and why?
LT: I would interview Marie Curie. She was the first woman to win a Nobel prize and the only person ever to win a Nobel Prize in two different sciences. I would love to hear about her earlier years and what it was like to be a female scientist at that time.
MB: Honestly, my first thought was a pirate. I think they’re hilarious, full of good stories, and would love to get their perspective on my horrible Halloween renditions of them over the years.
B: Thanks for chatting, and thanks for what you do for Blubrry! Anything else you’d like to add?
MB: Look out for your other female podcasters. Bond with them, learn with them.
LT: Thanks!