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Jessica Cordova-Kramer, CEO of Lemonada Media, shares the origin story of her company, which began after she and co-founder Stephanie Wittels Wachs both lost their brothers to heroin overdoses. After hearing Stephanie make jokes about overdose on a podcast, Jessica realized podcasts could save lives, leading them to create a company focused on making life "suck less" through audio content.
The conversation reveals Lemonada's strategic approach to content creation, including partnerships with high-profile talent like Meghan Markle, David Duchovny, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Cordova-Kramer discusses how the company maintains high advertising rates and fill rates by treating ads as content, with hosts personally engaging with brand messages rather than relying on programmatic advertising.
The discussion explores Lemonada's expansion into books through a partnership with Simon & Schuster, their careful approach to incorporating video content, and their position on AI in podcasting. Cordova-Kramer emphasizes the importance of maintaining authenticity in their creative work while using technology to enhance production efficiency, not replace human creativity.
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