Sound advice: Podcast producer helps businesses sharpen their message

After her first semester at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Cleveland, Tennessee-native Madison McCann decided that her pre-med academic path was a mistake.

Sifting through her less-than-stellar first-semester grades, however, she spotted a notable bright spot — a top grade in a public speaking course.

“I found out that for most people public speaking is their No. 1 fear; so that opened my eyes,” McCann says, sitting behind the mic at 148 Studios off Shallowford Road near Hamilton Place mall. “I thought, ‘If I have an A-plus in [public speaking], maybe I should pursue something along those lines.'”

To leverage her speaking skills, McCann eventually changed her major to focus on communication studies, while minoring in entrepreneurship.

Now, a decade later, it’s clear the pivot worked.

McCann, 29, is the founder/owner of Speakeasy Productions, a Chattanooga podcast production company that is capitalizing on America’s newfound fascination with spoken-word content.

She helps her dozen-or-so clients, mostly business people, to sharpen their messages to snag new customers, while also supplying enough technical support to help them find a home on the digital public square. Her production services start at $1,000 a month and go up from there, she said.

Her first client was Mike Costa, a former Chattanooga media executive and current business consultant, whose “My Morning Cup” podcast has become a local favorite. She also represents podcasts about personal finance, book-keeping, marketing, economic development and sales, among other topics.

“I work with service-based businesses to determine who their target audiences could be online,” she explains.

McCann says SpeakEasy Productions started as a side hustle. Fresh out of college, she found a job with the local office of Boy Scouts of America, and then worked for six years at the Tennessee Small Business Development Center here.

Her stint at the Small Business Development Center, as an office manager and marketing coordinator, helped her understand the needs of business people. It also convinced her to avoid the work/life imbalances that often befall people who own smaller companies.

“People were always saying they traded their 9 to 5 for a 24/7 (job),” she says.

McCann did podcast consulting on the side while working at the development center, until she could no longer balance her two jobs. Last fall, she shifted full time to her work at SpeakEasy.

“Six months ago, in October of 2024, my (podcast) business was to the point that I physically could not manage, in a workday, doing both of those things,” she says. “I would have my 9-to-5, then go home and do my business stuff. There was no time for a personal life, or sleeping.”

Newly married to husband, Logan Bailey, McCann says going full-time at SpeakEasy was a good decision. It also helped her overcome a couple of life challenges — self-doubt and risk aversion.

“I always think about the what-ifs,” McCann says. “I’m an over-planner.”

McCann credits her mentor, Sarah Mattson, senior director of economic development for the River City Corporation here, for helping her develop confidence.

She says Mattson taught her the basics of personal finance and showed her how to develop an executive presence. She also encouraged McCann to visualize, and act on, her personal and professional goals.

“I have come to terms with the fact that action is the only way to figure things out,” McCann says.

McCann says that as her business has continued to grow — revenue has doubled each of the past two years — she has begun to think about expanding the operation and hiring more help.

“For businesses [podcasting] can be really impactful if you do it the right way,” she says. “My specialty, through my experience in communications and marketing, is helping them nail down their messaging.

“Anyone can have a podcast but not everyone can have an effective podcast (without help).”

Madison McCann

* Age: 29

* Education: University of Tennessee at Knoxville

* Hometown: Cleveland, Tennessee (attended Walker Valley High School)

* Job Title: Owner/podcast producer at SpeakEasy Productions

* Family: Husband, Logan Bailey

* Volunteering: Board member for Young Professionals of Chattanooga

* Hobbies/pastimes: Playing with her poodle, Stella, and trying out new restaurants