by Kris Hurst
May is Mental Health Awareness month, so our maker spotlight focuses on mental health podcasters Joey Cerone and Ranvir Sandhu. The duo have been using Ignite’s A/V Studio to make a podcast on mental health since August of 2020. Their show is called Fresh Take with Joey and Ranvir. Using our podcast equipment, they record live interviews addressing current topics relating to emotional health. Joey took some time to answer our questions, providing insight into the process of putting together a podcast and using the equipment in our A/V Studio.
Joey Cerone and Ranvir Sandhu
When did you first become interested in making podcasts?
Ranvir and I became interested in making podcasts around August of last year. We talked a lot in high school about creating a podcast focused on mental health and current events, and figured the perfect time to launch would be during the pandemic.
Do you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
We are both self-taught, figuring it out as we go with the help of the amazing Ignite team.
What kind of podcasts are you currently making?
We are making an interview-based podcast focused on mental health current events. At our core, we are a podcast that does a deep dive into empathy, or the lack thereof, in society today.
What is the process of making podcasts like?
Making a podcast is a lot of fun. It’s a great way to have real and meaningful conversations with people we’ve always wanted to talk to. It starts by reaching out to a prospective interviewee, planning our questions in advance, recording the episode, and then editing and releasing the podcast within the week.
How long has it taken you to feel confident in your abilities to make a podcast?
I’d say it took about four or fuve episodes to really feel comfortable making the podcast. It’s a new frontier, having a conversation with mics in front [of us], so it took a little bit to feel natural.
What drew you to the Ignite Studio?
Ignite is a great place to record. We don’t have the equipment on our own to record, and Ignite provides fantastic equipment that gives us a platform. They have top-of-the-line technology that makes recording and releasing our podcast a snap.
How easy or hard was it to learn the equipment you use in Ignite?
It was very easy to learn the equipment. The team at Ignite was gracious enough to help us with the equipment we had some trouble with, which made it that much easier to learn.
How has the Ignite Studio helped you further your goals in podcasting?
The Ignite Studio has helped to further our goals tremendously. We wouldn’t be able to do the show without them.
Any advice for those interested in making a podcast?
My only advice would be to just go out and do it. I have been in the limbo of having a good idea without acting on it far too many times. There will always be a reason not to take that step. It’s important to make the jump and act on your idea.
