Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Jacobson.
Hi Amanda, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Kenyon, Lucy, and I have been friends since grade school, and when we all geographically went our separate ways after high school, we always found ways to stay connected to each other. Eventually, Kenyon and her new husband went overseas to South Africa, where her husband was hired as an educator in Johannesburg. With even more distance, our collective mental health collapsed after the 2016 election results. We wanted to try out a project that would keep us connected and bring some joy. Never in our wildest dreams did we think it would grow to what it is now, but Kenyon always had visions of this being a business, and now, going on 6 years later, Wine & Crime is a legitimate business! That still feels so weird to say!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been an eye-opening experience. Let’s put it that way! There is a reason they say not to go into business with your best friends, but I have to edit that cliche a bit. Suppose you’re going into business with your best friends. In that case, you have to be prepared for how that endeavor can change your relationship, for the ways you have to learn to communicate with each other, celebrate your success together and hold each other accountable. We are so lucky. The three of us are family at this point, which means, at times, we will argue like family! But that also means we make up like family. We work hard to see each other’s points of view, respect our differences, and keep working toward the shared goal of making this business a long-term success.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Wine and Crime Podcast, LLC?
We launched Wine & Crime at a fascinating time in the podcasting industry. True Crime has always been a hot genre, and podcasting brought this macabre subject into the pop culture zeitgeist. We launched in the wake of successful shows like My Favorite Murder and Serial, but with our unique spin on how true Crime is discussed. We wanted to talk about it like you would with your closest friends. We wanted to rebuke the true crime phenomenon of idolizing famous serial killers and rating how hot Ted Bundy was on a scale of 1-10. We wanted to honor victims while also dragging perpetrators. And we especially wanted to present stories that were not being told on every other platform and dig into crimes that the media or time had forgotten. Pair that approach with a great bottle of wine, and you have Wine & Crime!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
We wouldn’t be where we are now without the support of our families, friends, industry professionals, and of course, listeners. The way this show grew because of all of their support is wild. We didn’t even have an episode recorded when we snagged the WineAndCrimePod social media handles and announced it was coming soon. Folks were excited about the project and kept asking, “When is this coming out???” So we threw our meticulous months-long release schedule out the window and said, “Screw it, let’s dive in and just see how we do.” We’ve tweaked things along the way but, for the most part, have stuck to the vision and the formula we had from the beginning, and the support was and continues to be overwhelming. Now we have an incredible team of legal support (Hi Julian Smith, thanks for keeping us out of trouble!!), accounting and business management (shout out to Kenyon’s mom Elizabeth Laing of Chicks and Balances!!), and an incredible audio and video editor Jonathan Camp who has elevated this project beyond anything we could have done alone and allowed us to offer video content. Our production and social media manager, Andrea Gardner, who completely reorganized our business and social media strategies and manages all of the details of our day-to-day, our professional representation at William Morris Endeavor ramped up our ability to tour and take this show on the road to living. It’s all a massive endeavor, and the team we have working to support us is invaluable!
Contact Info:
- Website: wineandcrimepodcast.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wineandcrimepod/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WineandCrimePod
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/WineandCrimePod
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WineCrimePodcast
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-700255087?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
- Other: https://youtu.be/-N_IAfTQz9g
Image Credits
Natalia Mendez, Nathan Jorgenson, Whitney Warne, Nicholas Karlin
