A Conversation With the Core Conversations Podcast Crew
Behind every great podcast is a production team that edits sound, researches topics and oversees dialogues. Audiences are accustomed to hearing only what is aired, but there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes. From bloopers and laughter to equipment failures and lost trains of thought, it is the production crew that smooths the edges and creates the Core Conversations episodes that our listeners hear every two weeks.
In this episode, host Maiclaire Bolton Smith cedes the stage to the crew members of this podcast. Learn a little about what goes on behind the scenes to bring this podcast to life, and listen until the end for a special guest appearance!
Jessi Devenyns:
Welcome back to Core Conversations: A CoreLogic Podcast where we dive into the heart of what makes the property market tick. I am not your host, Maiclaire Bolton Smith. I am your producer, Jessi Devenyns.
Romie Aromin:
And I’m Romie Aromin, your editor and sound engineer.
JD:
And today we’re going to jazz it up a bit. While we take a break between Season 2 and Season 3. We thought we’d pause and help you get to know the creators behind Core Conversations.
Maiclaire Bolton Smith:
Thanks, Jessi. Okay, I’m back. And with 2022 coming to a close, we want to have a little fun interlude over the holidays featuring our amazing production crew. So as Jessi said, normally they’re behind the scenes, but today I’ve convinced them to be front and center. And trust me, it was not easy for me to convince them to do this. So, let’s get to know them a little bit. Jessi, you are a huge part of Core Conversations, but can you tell people what you actually do behind the scenes? And what’s your favorite part?
JD:
Sure. So, like you said, behind the scenes, very behind the scenes, do a lot of things behind those scenes. That includes finding all of our guests with your help, of course. But we have to convince them sometimes to come on and I usually have a really interesting conversation with them, figure out what they’re interested in talking about, and we spin up a good episode using that. Then I will work with you guys and ask questions as we go along in the episodes because often I get very engrossed in what’s going on, and I have questions that I didn’t even know I had during the course of the episode. And try to keep it in control the whole time. And then we spin it up into what our listeners hear, every two weeks.
MBS:
I don’t think Jessi gives herself enough credit. She literally puts words in my mouth because I many times do not even know what we are talking about, and she does all the research behind it. So yeah. You’re amazing, Jessi. What’s your favorite part about what we do here?
JD:
I love getting to meet and talk to all the people. It’s surprising the depth of the knowledge that I get to encounter and all the fun little dark corners of fun facts that people have. They don’t necessarily always make it onto the podcast, but it’s wonderful to know that these exist in the world.
MBS:
Yeah, that is a really cool part. I do love that. Okay, Romie, you are a magician. I wish everyone could hear what this sounds like in raw footage. Actually, I am glad people don’t hear what this sounds like in raw footage, but you sometimes get a cacophony of ridiculousness from Jessi and I, and you turn it into something that sounds so wonderful. So, I cannot say enough about what you do for this podcast. So do you want to explain to people what you, as our sound engineer and sound magician really, do behind the scenes?
RA:
Yeah, I keep the episode on the rails basically. So, generally, it’s just what you guys hear. There’s very little editing involved. Maiclaire, you’re such a good host that, you just keep everything going. And there are only certain times when there’s like a long pause or somebody coughs or something. They’re really small edits. So you’re really giving me a whole lot more credit than I probably should be getting. But I try to keep things going and just try to make sure the conversation makes sense. And we try to keep it at a length that you guys will actually listen to.
MBS:
That is a really good point because sometimes we do go on a really long time. So, what’s your favorite part about doing this podcast?
RA:
Oh, you know what — Even though I’m not normally here for the main recordings of these, you guys make me feel like I’m actually there. And you guys are constantly talking to me and leaving me notes and telling me what and what not to do. No, but I laugh a lot when I listen to each episode, but I also learn a lot. CoreLogic is a pretty big company that does a lot of things, and it’s really hard to really wrap your head around what exactly we do. And so every time a new episode comes out, I learn something new about a company that I’ve worked for, for over five years now and it’s great.
MBS:
Yeah, that is so great. Well, I am so grateful for what you do, Romie, because yeah, I feel like sometimes we give you not something easy to work with. And you always make it sound so professional. So, I’m so grateful for what you do.
RA:
Thank you.
JD:
Me too. I’m going to chime in. Romie, you’re the best. We would get into dark, dark corners. Like I said, they’re there, but you ensure that we sound good. So thank you.
MBS:
You do.
RA:
There’s the part that I will edit out.
MBS:
No.
JD:
Okay, okay. So now we’ve gotten our thanksgiving of each other done. We’ve learned things about each other. Thank you, guys. Maiclaire, we definitely want to hear about you too. Because our listeners, they hear your voice all year long, they know what you’re doing. But this is actually you’re behind the scenes job, as it were, and you have a day job. Like Romie said, you’re an excellent host so no one would know that this is not what you do full-time. But why don’t you actually tell us a little bit about what you do here in your real work at CoreLogic?
MBS:
Yeah. Core Conversations is my side gig, I guess, but it’s also probably my favorite part of my job. I lead the Hazard and Risk Management business here within the Insurance Solutions division of CoreLogic. So, it’s something I’m really passionate about. I think I’ve mentioned on the podcast a number of times that I have a background in natural hazards. I actually am a seismologist by training. I do a lot with natural hazard risk communication. And yeah, I’ve been at CoreLogic 10 years now and it just kind of was a natural progression as I got to this point. And I lead a phenomenal team. I have a few different teams and they are just great and love helping our clients understand their risk to natural hazards like wildfire, floods, severe convective storm, earthquake, hurricane, you name it. That’s what we do. So yeah.
JD:
I think there are also a few fun kind of storms that we have learned about. Speaking of learning things, we have derechos — I think is a type of storm.
MBS:
Jessi heard a new word and she’s like, “That’s not a thing.” I’m like, “It is. A derecho is a type of storm.” It’s… yeah.
JD:
The number of new words I learn on this podcast. Bathymetry. Derechos.
MBS:
Bathymetry. It’s true.
JD:
There you go.
MBS:
Yeah, Jessi always calls out. She’s like, “That’s not really a word.” And I’m like, “Yes it is.” So yeah, we do a lot of really cool stuff and I’m definitely biased, but I think the work that we do in Hazard and Risk Management is the coolest stuff. So.
JD:
It’s pretty dang interesting.
MBS:
But I will say hosting this podcast is probably one of my most favorite things that I’ve ever done in my career. It’s just fun. And because exactly what you guys have said, learning things, meeting people. It’s just a really cool thing to do.
And since this is the holiday episode, Jessi has a special gift for our listeners. So do check out the show notes and just know that that’s something fun coming from us. And more to come on that. So stay tuned.
So, now as Season 2 officially ends, we did begin Season 2 at, I think we started in March after a little bit of a longer hiatus. The reason we did have a bit of a hiatus at the end of last year and starting this year is because I was actually out on maternity leave. So we have a special little cameo appearance now by our little executive co-producer who wanted to say hi.
Baby:
[inaudible 00:08:39]
MBS:
So, from our podcast family to yours, thank you so much for being listeners of Core Conversations. We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know our crew a little bit more. I will also do a special shout-out to our social media duo, Sarah Buck and Makaila Brooks. Thank you for all that they do to promote this podcast. And tune in next time. Join us for Season 3, which will launch on January 25th. And until then, tune in next time for another Core Conversation.
I love it.
JD:
Oh, thank God. This is so hard.