Juror Spotlight
Dominic Lawson, Podcast Host, Producer & Editor, Meadows Behavioral Healthcare
Since 2016, Dominic has been the creator & host of The Startup Life Podcast giving its audience the edge it needs in building the businesses and climbing the corporate ladder. He’s had the pleasure of interviewing Marc Randolph (Co-Founder & First CEO of Netflix), Tom Golisano (Founder & Chairman of Paychex), and others.
He joined the Meadows Behavioral Healthcare family in 2021 as a podcast producer, editor, and host for the long-running podcast series Beyond Theory bringing in-depth conversations and firsthand insights from the people on the front lines of mental health and addiction recovery.
Last year, he launched two podcasts: Recovery Replay, a podcast journaling a personal recovery story and Black Is America, a podcast highlighting little-known African American figures and other stories.
When did you realize this was the career you wanted to do?
I switched up my podcasting style in 2021. I started podcasting in 2016 and started as a “chat cast”. This is the format you hear in most shows where there is a host and they interview a guest. I took it seriously but never thought about making it a career or anything like that. However, when the pandemic came in 2020, there was a flood of podcasts and I had to figure out how to differentiate myself from the pack.
So, I switched to the non-fiction narrative style which is in the same lane as “This American Life”. It was then when I realized how much I loved storytelling and sound design. From there, people noticed, including my current employer, and I’ve been doing that style of show ever since. It’s funny because most podcasters would tell you that editing is the part they hate the most and I used to be in that camp. But now I do more editing than ever and I love it because of what I can create.
What is your dream project?
My dream project would be a documentary-style podcast about the University of Memphis Cheer Squad. Cheerleading doesn’t get the respect in the sports world that football and basketball do. This program has known nothing but excellence over the past couple of years, winning four of the last seven national championships. So I would love to give their story that ESPN 30 for 30 treatment of a podcast to highlight the dynasty it is.
Where do you see your field of work in 5 years?
Five years from now I think we are going to see more businesses use podcasting as a tool for marketing. In addition to that, I think the quality of these podcasts are only going to get better as storytelling will take the forefront of getting a company’s message across.
How do you stay up-to-date in your industry?
I stay up to date on my industry by attending social media panels about podcasting. I actually moderate two of them and I also read PodNews which has the latest in the industry, new jobs, and conferences about podcasting.
What fuels your creativity?
People’s stories. Every person, I believe, when they reach a certain age, has at least 1,000 stories. Stories of hope, loss, humor, remorse, and more. Seeking out these stories and listening to them and how they are presented, sparks my creativity.
What is your evaluation process for projects this year?
For this year’s w3 Awards, I’m looking for outside the box creativity in the podcasting categories. As a Best In Show winner last season, I had to really put my best foot forward with unique sound design and storytelling techniques. But I’m looking for something that keeps me on my toes auditorily speaking. Even if you like the content you are listening to, it can still be mundane and not engaging after a while. So, I’m looking for those podcasts that can really think outside the box and provide something fresh. My winning model is this:
1. Tell me something I’ve never heard before
or
2. Tell me something in a way I’ve never heard before
If you can combine them both, that’s award-winning content. For example, being from Memphis, I had heard Elvis’ story maybe a million times. But that latest feature film about him was presented in a way as if I was hearing his story for the first time.