“Media and message are irreducible. Like McLuhan said, you can’t have one without the other,” says Steve Hardiman. “But, if one’s not made for the other, you might as well have neither.”

Steve Hardiman’s role as Creative Director is about crafting the message of Third Storey Productions’ various Podcast properties for maximum effect using the media of Podcasting.

“The medium of Podcasting is often misunderstood because the technology of Podcasting has its roots in other media. There’s a temptation to say things like, ‘It’s like TiVo for Radio.’ Technically, that’s partially true; in practice, it’s mostly false. Since Podcasting is social media, metaphors break down too quickly to make more than superficial comparisons – and nowhere do they break down faster than when talking about subscribers. Since it is for them that your Podcast exists in the first place, trying to craft messages for Podcasting like it’s “high-tech radio” or “portable TV” is fundamentally flawed. It wastes your money and your subscribers’ time.”

Steve’s understanding of Podcasting emerged from his background in both traditional and high tech communications. He has produced, directed, scripted and hosted “old-school” television and radio programs, instructed and coached public speakers, and produced “new media,” including on-demand audio and video, Podcasts, and webcasts.

Dwelling in both worlds gives Steve the insights to understand how to craft effective Podcast messages that become the basis for relationships between content publishers and subscribers. To this he adds the dimension of years crafting messages for business audiences based on experience working for small and Fortune 500 companies, U.S. government agencies, and nonprofits. He earned his Masters of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University, where he pursued dual specializations in information technology and strategic marketing.