About Podcast Allies

Dear viewers and Podcast Allies fans:

I started Podcast Allies, with my former partner, Lindsey O’Connor, in 2019. Since then, Podcast Allies has served mission-driven clients large and small, helping nonprofits, educational institutions, and individuals share their stories in the most magical of mediums — audio. It’s been a great run.

Over the last year, however, I have returned to my first passion: traditional journalism, in both digital and audio forms. I’ve written for The Guardian and broadcast for NPR and This American Life. I’m continuing my reporting journey, telling stories of people affected by policies and practices around “wicked problems” like health care and food insecurity. I’m also teaching as a visiting artist at The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, editing audio stories and coaching individual narrative storytellers.

And so Podcast Allies, as a production company, is shutting down. This website will turn off on October 16, 2026.

I hope you’ll stick with me, though! Please take a look at my new website, www.appletongrant.com, and bookmark it. I’ll post new classes there, and you can always reach out there to commission assignments, provide story tips, or request coaching.

Thank you for everything.

Warmly,

Elaine Grant

We help you tell audio stories that matter. Without the overwhelm.

Podcast Allies develops and produces compelling, relevant podcasts for mission-driven clients who believe in the power of storytelling and who are dedicated to quality.

And if you’d rather do it yourself, we offer proven training, developed from years in the field — training that takes you from idea to launch and well beyond.

We’re right-brained and left-brained. Great audio storytelling demands experience on the creative side. And on the project management side. We do both, and we teach both.

Our consulting services and training are personal, creative, organized and empathic. We know how fascinating and useful a great podcast can be. And we know the obstacles to getting there — and how to overcome them.

There’s a lot of information online on how to produce podcasts. But in our experience, there’s nothing like having professionals hold your hand from start to finish.

That’s why we call ourselves “allies.”

Podcast Allies was founded by journalists in 2019. We have decades of experience in public radio and working with top podcast networks, including NPR and Wondery. Meet our team here.

We work with hand-picked writers, producers, showrunners, audio editors, sound designers, audience engagement specialists, and engineers…custom-chosen from the best in the industry, just for your project.

Looking for development or production? Learn more.

Looking for a class, custom training or coaching? Explore our options.

More from Podcast Allies:

Sound Judgment, the podcast

Sound Judgment takes listeners into the studios — and the minds — of your favorite audio storytellers. In each episode, journalist Elaine Appleton Grant and a top audio creator deconstruct one of their episodes. It’s not just a revealing conversation about the art and craft of audio storytelling, it’s a sound-rich narrative interview: Elaine plays back clips from her guest’s podcast. Together, they explore the storyteller’s creative choices in a “living learning lab.” Learn More

Sound Judgment, the Newsletter

The newsletter that shares just what it takes to become one of today's best audio storytellers. Based on Sound Judgment, the podcast, which takes you into the minds — and the studios — of your favorite creators. Subscribe for free.