Lynn Kestin Sessler is a Peabody, Webby, Shorty and Signal Award–winning producer and development executive, and one of the most influential innovators in children’s media today. She has created hit animated series, podcasts, games, and digital experiences for Nickelodeon, PBS, Netflix, Sesame Street, MTV Networks, and Audible, and is widely recognized for pioneering cross-platform storytelling for kids and families. As Head of Creative Development & Executive Producer at Nickelodeon, she launched the network’s entire slate of award-winning podcasts in audio and YouTube and continues to shape the future of multiplatform content.
Before becoming a leader in kids’ media, Lynn had a distinguished career in entertainment news—producing the Emmy-winning FX World Movie Premiere series and the Emmy-nominated 30 By 30: Kids Flicks for HBO, as well as producing major MTV franchises and specials. She currently serves on the PGA’s National Board, is a member of the TV Academy, NATAS, and IADAS, and sits on the Boards of the Children’s Media Association and Common Sense Media. Her career is defined by creative leadership, industry impact, and a passion for empowering young audiences.
How many years have you worked in podcasting or audio?
6–10 years
What is your current role, in your own words?
I’m Creative Producer on Avatar Braving the Elements podcast. I’m also creating and developing a slate of 360 shows independently.
What types of projects do you typically work on?
I mostly work on Children’s scripted but also unscripted general audience podcasts.
How many years have you been a Signal Awards judge?
This is my first year
What excited you about joining the Signal Awards Judging Academy?
I’m excited to dive into the best there is out there in the world of audio.
What is one recent podcast you’ve loved and would recommend?
I listen to many podcasts, including HAPPIER IN HOLLYWOOD and HAPPIER ( that always inspire me), PIVOT ( smart and technology focused), and WISER THAN ME– so many smart women!!!
What separates good audio storytelling from great audio storytelling?
Good audio tells you what happened.
Great audio makes you feel what it felt like to be there.
It leaves space for the listener’s imagination, treats sound as emotion rather than decoration.Good sound design is literal. If a character says they walked into the rain, you hear a generic rain track. If they mention a car door slamming, you hear a car door slam. It’s illustrative, but it’s surface-level.
Great sound design is psychological and subjective. It reflects the emotional state of the speaker or the internal tension of the scene.
If a subject is feeling overwhelmed or claustrophobic in a crowded room, a great producer won’t just play loud crowd noise. They might wash out the background chatter with a low-pass filter, isolate a single rhythmic sound like a ticking clock, or introduce a subtle, swelling drone.
The sound design doesn’t just tell you where you are; it tells you how to feel about being there.
What project are you most proud of and why?
I am so proud of my work at Nickelodeon Podcasts. We built an incredibly tight knit talented team from the ground up. I lead the creation and development of over 25 series on both the audio and YouTube side of the house. We garnered many millions of views and awards. It was exciting and fun, and for some of the biggest brands in the kids media space. I’m so proud of the product and that so many kids and families still love and enjoy it.
What podcasting trend, challenge, or opportunity has your attention these days?
The “Narrative Influencer” & Niche Loyalty. Advertisers and platforms are realizing that a massive, passive audience that skips ads isn’t nearly as valuable as a tight, deeply loyal micro-community. Shows with 10k to 50k hyper-engaged listeners are driving incredible conversion rates and ROI. The Strategy: Instead of building a broad show that says a little to a lot of people, successful creators are niching down and treating the podcast as an anchor for a wider ecosystem—scaling it into premium gated communities (Slack, Discord, Substack), live experiential events, and physical/educational extensions
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to emerging creators?
Think “360” From Day One
Build an ecosystem, not just a product. If you have an audio series, what does the visual companion look like? How does it live on social? How could it eventually scale into physical products, print, or live experiences? Think about cross-platform intellectual property (IP) from the very beginning.
What are you currently listening to? (podcasts, music, anything)
I am listening to the new Paul McCartney album, THE BOYS OF DUNGEON LANE. And there’s a song with Ringo Starr on it! Any Beatles fan would be super excited! I’m also listening to many podcasts including PIVOT, POWER LINES, THE TOWN, THE POWERS THAT BE, PRESTIGE JUNKIE and THE GRILL ROOM to try to make sense of this tumultous time we are living through in the media.