By Sam Raudins – Reporter, Albany Business Review Jun 7, 2023
Bright Sighted Podcasting, a podcast production and consulting house based in Saratoga Springs, has opened a podcast studio inside Palette at 480 Broadway.
The studio is open to the public, founder Christine O’Donnell said.
O’Donnell said Saratoga Springs was missing a podcast studio that could be utilized by the community.
“What we’re hoping is to offer some affordable options for locals to come in and use this studio space. We really care about high-quality recording, so myself or someone from the Bright Sighted team would be here throughout the recording to guide them through the process. And then if they did want to take it to the next level and enjoy our editing services as well, they could,” she said.
Click here to learn more about the studio
The company offers space and services for podcasting, course creation, audiobook recording, webinars and more out of the Saratoga studio. The studio can be booked by the hour and memberships are available.
Working with the public also allows O’Donnell to scout for potential shows to add to her network, which is focused on educational and positive content. Bright Sighted produces 12 podcasts, and some boast as many as 10,000 regular listeners, O’Donnell said. Shows include “Moving Past Murder with Collier Landry,” a show meant to connect trauma survivors, and “Sincerely, Future You with Jessica McKinley,” which is aimed at female entrepreneurs.
O’Donnell has been producing podcasts for five years. She grew up in Saratoga Springs and recently moved back after working as a broadcast journalist in Augusta, Georgia, Albany and Los Angeles.
Before moving into the Palette space, O’Donnell, a newer member of the coworking space, said she was running the studio out of her home. Having a location ups the professionalism of the operation.
“A couple months ago, I launched this podcast with Kristi Wagner, who’s a local Olympian,” she said. “We just were having her come over to our house a ton and realized if we wanted to start interviewing other people, say other Olympians, it just might be awkward to have them come into my basement and constantly have to be picking up child toys or just have them up in my closet.”
The connection through Palette also allows her to meet potential clients and advertisers.
“They already have built-in leads. And I feel like it’s a symbiotic relationship,” she said.
Catherine Hover, founder and CEO of Palette, said the coworking community would benefit from having an in-house studio, as many members have podcasts or appear on them, making the decision a win-win.
Being able to provide spaces for members to grow their business is a main priority and a key part of the strategy for the coworking space.
“You’ve got to be able to adapt quickly and meet the needs of the people who are investing in you,” Hover said. “What’s really great, and this is all I’m learning from Christine, is that there’s an opportunity there to grow your brand, monetize your brand, and reach a larger audience in podcasting. A lot of times people are like, ‘Oh, that’s a pipe dream and it’ll take too much to get that off the ground.’ So anything that we can do to make it easier and more accessible — it’s all on point with why Palette exists.”
