"Outside of the actual content, I think that podcast titles, descriptions, and episode contents are under-utilized."
Introduction
We’re excited to introduce you to Signal Awards judge Christine Dela Rosa, Principal Strategist, Advocacy at Atlassian!
Christine is part of Atlassian’s brand team, supporting all-things that elevate brand awareness and experience. Early in her career she focused on producing branded web series, vignettes on network and cable TV, and video game integrations. More recently, she is on the team who produces Atlassian’s award-winning podcasts—“Teamistry” and “Work Check,” the latter of which she also hosts.
When not thinking about teams, Christine listens to audiobooks and podcasts on daily walks and enjoys public programs that connect the dots across history.
Read our Q&A with her below to learn more about the podcasts she loves!
What podcast(s) made you fall in love with podcasting?
Decoder Ring brings up topics I’ve forgotten about but absolutely am curious about as they dig into their stories. I still feel this way even after all this time.
If you’re stuck on a desert island, what one podcast do you take with you?
If I were on an island, I imagine I’ll need levity, the courage to keep moving forward, and some kind of grounding beliefs to inspire me that it’s okay that I’m on a desert island. So I’d bring the podcast, You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes. The show is part comedy, part life-affirming positivity, and part spiritual philosophy.
What podcasts have your favorite cover art?
99% Invisible is an oldie but a goodie. It’s minimalist, featuring mostly a grid of 100 squares with just one of its squares highlighted. It’s a visual demonstration of the title and the show, plus it’s so simple it’s very recognizable.
Who are some of your favorite podcast co-hosts?
Best Friends with Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata is a show about best friends sharing about their own relationship and supporting others in their friendships. What better chemistry can you have than those who share their full selves with each other off and on air?
What podcasts make you laugh?
I really enjoy shows where hosts are cracking each other up. For example, I enjoy hearing Mike Birbiglia genuinely laugh because of what his guests say on Working It Out. Comedians make comedians laugh.
What podcasts do you believe are underrated or deserving of more recognition?
Significant Others narrates the life of a lesser known person who supported or influenced a famous person. Much like its featured subjects, it’s not as popular as I think it should be. Not only is there great storytelling and education happening, but there are also fictionalized recreations of historical dialogue to aid in the storytelling. Finally, the minisode following the main episode, we get a debrief on the subject! It’s so meta to raise the spotlight on a lesser known person in multiple ways!
What are some common mistakes or pitfalls that you see podcasts fall into, and how can podcasters avoid them?
Outside of the actual content, I think that podcast titles, descriptions, and episode contents are under-utilized. Especially for podcasts where listeners pick and choose different episodes, leaning too hard into vagueness as a tease or putting too much detail into a synopsis can result in users passing on listening. I’m also appreciative of shownotes that include key moments or extra reference links.
What will you be looking for when reviewing Signal Award entries?
- Clear understanding of who their audience is and their delivery on what I think they’re giving to this audience
- Consistency within an episode and across episodes of a contained season
- Production quality and thoughtfulness in post-production decisions.