By Jasper Baumann and Tess Connery
Chatting to those in the know with Dr Golly and the Experts
The new LiSTNR original podcast Dr Golly and the Experts follows Dr Daniel Golshevsky (Dr Golly) talking with ‘experts’ – parents who have, through necessity, become a specialist in their child’s health journey, from diagnosis to day-to-day treatment and beyond.
As former chief resident medical officer at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Dr Golly has treated many high-profile Australian families as they deal with medical conditions ranging from epilepsy, autism, eczema, sleep deprivation, croup and ADHD, and he has a rare talent as an expert, and as an expert translator.
Podcast Week’s Tess Connery spoke to Dr Golshevsky about how the podcast came to be, and the value of telling these stories that aren’t often told.
“It started with me appearing in a lot of podcasts for other people, and the reception was fantastic,” says Golshevsky. “I would regularly get feedback from the host saying ‘you’re our most listened to episode,’ really lovely feedback. There was also this really frequent comment – ‘you should have your own podcast’.
“I always thought, no, that’s not my space, I don’t know what I’m doing. Then it occurred to me, there is actually a really, really important thing that I don’t think is getting enough air time, and that is the experience of the parent through a child’s problem.”
The first episode tells the story of Australian sports broadcaster and Seven Sport presenter, Hamish McLachlan, whose daughter Milla was diagnosed with West Syndrome at eight months old. Golshevsky says that when he’s selecting guests for the podcast, he’s looking for “someone who can talk about the lived experience of a condition, and someone who tells a great story because of what they’ve experienced.”
“They don’t have to be a celebrity by any means, but they have to know about a condition from the point of view of a parent.
“After dropping that first episode, we had a huge number of parents reach out to me asking to share their story. I think when you do go through an experience like that, you do want to share your story – you want to make the journey easier for the next parent who’s going through it, it’s this lovely desire that people have to share the load and share the love.”
Of course, when you’re speaking about medical conditions that affect children, the sad reality is that the world isn’t always kind. Golshevsky says that no matter how a story ends, it’s important that it’s told anyway.
“Some of the stories are really hard, they don’t all have happy endings – but it’s important to discuss the uncomfortable topics and to talk about the uncomfortable things. I think there’s still a really important message that you can send to people, because life is not all roses and fantastic outcomes. Even when the story is not very happy, it’s still a very important one to tell.”
With a few recordings under his belt, Golshevsky says that there’s one trend he’s noticing come thorough in episodes of Dr Golly and the Experts.
“One thing I’ve noticed is that in almost every episode, at one point, both of us will be crying. I’m an emotional person, and half the time I’ve gone through the experience with the person I’m interviewing because they are known to me. I don’t want to be known as the person who makes their guests cry, but that is just a testament to the fact that it is so deeply personal and so deeply emotional to relive whatever their experience may have been.”
Ultimately, Golshevsky says that he hopes the podcast shows people that “these guests go through the same trials and tribulations that all of us do.”
“Medical problems don’t spare anyone, regardless of how famous you are or how much money you have. When you have a child, you roll the dice and anything can happen.
“I think that people find solace in hearing another parent’s journey when they have gone through something similar. The overwhelming messages that we get in response to the to the episode airing is, ‘I went through the same thing and I think it’s wonderful that you’re telling this story’. It’s just fantastic to shine a light on something that probably doesn’t get enough attention, and then to have a really positive response to it.”
[Listen to Dr Golly and the Experts here]
LiSTNR partners with CommSec to launch refreshed CommSec Market Update
With LiSTNR’s podcasting expertise and CommSec’s deep industry knowledge of Australia’s leading online broker, the two combine to create a podcast that informs and updates its audience in a timely manner, with morning and evening weekday updates.
At 10 to 12 minutes long, episodes will feature snackable content that educates listeners on the share market, but also offers a ‘peek behind the curtain’ at the real, relatable people within CommSec, speaking about the market the same way their audience would.
CommSec Market Update will introduce a rotating slate of dual hosts including CommSec chief economist Craig James, CommSec market analysts Tom Piotrowski, Steven Daghlian and Laura Beserati, and CommSec senior economist Ryan Felsman, who will invite listeners into a discussion about a range of sharemarket themes and investment topics.
[Listen to CommSec Market Update here]
Podcast and radio show Food Bytes celebrates milestone
The latest episode of Food Bytes with Sarah Patterson features MasterChef host Melissa Leong and it marks a major milestone for the show. It is the 250th podcast episode coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the series.
Food Bytes started as a column in a suburban newspaper and evolved into the podcast five years ago.
Just over a year ago, the latest metamorphosis saw Food Bytes become a weekly one-hour radio show Sunday mornings on the Ace Radio Network across regional Victoria and southern New South Wales.
Ace Radio Group content director Mat Cummins likes what the show brings to the table: “Food Bytes as a program on the radio is every bit as compelling as a podcast and the two complement each other very well. The radio audience gets to sample interesting content they might not be aware of and in their own time they can explore the podcast and go deeper into those wonderful conversations. The depth and strength of the guests that appear on Food Bytes is of huge appeal to our audience.
“There are some examples of this kind of crossover where a podcast becomes a radio program in its own right, and it’s a path that should be explored as audiences crave high standards of bespoke content making.”
Show creators and hosts Sarah Patterson and Kevin Hillier are enjoying the ride: “We love doing the show and are delighted that the guests and the listeners are enjoying the experience as much as we do.”
Food Bytes comes from production company Howdy Media Partners which is also home to the long-running podcasts Ruck ’N Roll and The Life of Brian. Series that both feature rock and roll rascal Brian Mannix.
Dally M winner Nicho Hynes and ABC Sports reporter Marlee Silva launch When We Grow Up
In When We Grow Up, Nicho and Marlee explore the lessons they’ve learned, their failures and triumphs, and the sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious stories of their past and present day-to-day lives.
They’ll also be joined by inspiring guests with their own stories of success – from CEOs to activists to athletes and everything in between – who will reflect on what their younger selves would think of them now.
“We’ve already had a few chats with some amazing people that have really moved us. We know what they say will really stay with listeners and hopefully bring attention to the causes they’re working on or challenge people to think differently about life,” said Hynes.
“I think people feel like they know everything about Nicho because of how he’s told his stories in recent years, but they will love seeing this other side of him too,” said Silva.
[Listen to When We Grow Up here]
Popular influencers Caleb Finn & his partner Soup, launch their debut podcast, Internet Parents
Australia’s most followed male TikTok star Caleb Finn and his partner Soup are bringing their unique experiences as content creators and parents to the world of podcasting.
In the new podcast, Caleb and Soup will discuss who’s been cancelled to who nearly got married to someone else and what really happened when they met to why Caleb kicked Soup out right before she moved in.
“We’re so excited to finally share our life behind the screen with all of our incredible fans. It’s been a wild journey and there has been so much we’ve never spoken about before, but we’re finally putting our voice out there and showing what life is really like being internet-famous parents,” said Caleb and Soup.
[Listen to Internet Parents here]
Piccolo Podcasts announce new show with award-winning investigative journalist Adam Shand
Walkley Award winner, best-selling author and true crime detective, Adam Shand, shares his expertise on the new weekly true crime series, Adam Shand At Large.
Adam Shand At Large is a deep dive into the world of a working true crime journalist. Shand introduces listeners to an eclectic cast of characters seeking justice or simply an opportunity to tell their stories.
The podcast investigates the biggest and most important criminal cases in Australia’s recent history. From investigating the disappearance of a veteran to encountering aliens in Zimbabwe to uncovering the darkest secrets of Melbourne’s underworld and providing insight into Australia’s most notorious criminal, Mark ‘Chopper’ Read.
[Listen to Adam Shand At Large here]
iHeart podcast network announces The Pool Room with Tony Armstrong
iHeart podcast network has announced The Pool Room with Tony Armstrong, a trip through sporting history with untold tales from around the world. The podcast features true storytelling and celebrates the winners, losers and all the stuff in between.
The new twice-weekly short-form podcast dives into everything from Australia’s rich history with streakers, to the Olympic marathon runner who mysteriously disappeared mid-race and the curse that haunted Australian soccer for decades.
Tony Armstrong grew up in rural NSW and is a proud Gamilaroi man. He was drafted straight out of school to the Adelaide Crows before moving to Sydney to play alongside his childhood hero, Adam Goodes. After two years with the Swans, he transferred to Collingwood where he played out his AFL career.
Tony Armstrong said: “The Pool Room is teeming with the sorts of tales I want to settle down at the pub for and have my mates entertain me with. Sometimes what happened truly is so much more bizarre, hilarious and fascinating than anything we could make up. The stories we treat listeners to on The Pool Room don’t disappoint.”
[Listen to The Pool Room with Tony Armstrong here]
