348 Sophie Bearman - The Making of a “Life in Seven Songs”

📺 Watch & Subscribe on YouTube In this episode, I speak with Sophie Bearman, the Director of Special Projects at the San Francisco Standard. Sophie shares her journey from New York to San Francisco, detailing her career in journalism and video production. We dive into her passion for documentary filmmaking and how it led her to the world of podcasting. Sophie opens up about her experience hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, a six-month adventure that provided her with a much-needed break and a fresh perspective. Her story is a testament to the importance of taking risks and following your passions, even when the path isn't clear. We also discuss her latest project, the podcast "Life in Seven Songs," where she interviews fascinating individuals about their lives through the lens of seven songs that have shaped them. Sophie explains how this unique format allows guests to share personal stories and memories that they might not have revealed before. From San Francisco Mayor London Breed to global architect Norman Foster, the podcast offers a fresh and intimate look at the lives of its guests. Sophie’s warmth and genuine curiosity make for engaging conversations that are sure to resonate with listeners. Join us as we explore the power of music and storytelling in this exciting new podcast.Episode Sponsor FullCast – https://fullcast.co/Key Takeaways 00:00:00: Introduction 00:00:33: Sophie's New Project 00:01:09: Life in New York 00:02:30: Journalism Beginnings 00:03:58: Early Video Production 00:05:16: Transition to Audio 00:07:33: First Podcast Experience 00:09:56: Podcast Production Process 00:10:18: Joining the San Francisco Standard 00:13:05: Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail 00:15:25: Trail Experience 00:16:45: Return and Podcast Genesis 00:19:16: Podcast Format and Guests 00:20:24: Interview Process 00:21:43: Interview Skills and Preparation 00:24:45: Surprising Interview Moments 00:25:27: Episode Release and Promotion 00:27:19: Internal Feedback and Goals 00:29:00: Emotional Responses in Interviews 00:30:24: Holding Space for Emotions 00:32:21: Power of Silence in Interviews 00:33:01: Sophie's Seven Songs 00:34:41: Recent Changes in Perspective 00:36:10: Misunderstood Aspects 00:37:09: Closing Remarks and Future of Local News 00:39:09: Where to Find the PodcastTweetable Quotes"Growing up in New York is amazing. I didn't learn to drive until my twenties, which shocks a lot of people, but for a New Yorker, that's par for the course. You could just do whatever, and it was very freeing in that sense.""I think my passion that I discovered in college was actually documentary filmmaking. I had pretty grand ambitions of making feature films, but I got lucky. I also wrote for the college paper, the Harvard Crimson, and my first job out of college combined journalism and video production.""The hardest part was tracking and writing narration. Writing is hard, and it's even a higher bar when people can't see what the place looks like. The sound can help describe it, but you have to write to that too."Resources Mentioned LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiebearman/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/stbearman Podcast Junkies Website: <a href="https://www.podcastjunkies.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...