Today we’d like to introduce you to Sofie Haner, Mike Jaeger, and Gabbi McMullen.
Hi Sofie, Mike, and Gabbi, 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.
Sofie has always had a fascination with true crime due to her own childhood experiences and stories passed down to her from her family. She wanted to create a platform where she could not only share her fascination with true crime and mysteries with other people but also create a community of like-minded and supportive listeners. First, she approached Mike in 2021 with her idea, with the hopes that he could lighten these stories and bring a different perspective to the mysteries. With just the two of them, it seemed like polar opposites joining together: a total crime addict and believer vs a hardcore skeptic.
Thus the duo decided they wanted a third. In the summer of 2022, while re-hashing the idea of the podcast during a friends game night, their good mutual friend Gabbi offered to be the third musketeer, and they realized she was the perfect middle ground they needed. And so they became a trio, a die-hard true crime fan, a skeptic, and an enthusiast. They decided to launch the podcast in October of 2022, after much trial and error, technical difficulties & experimental storytelling. The podcast has started to build a community and the support they initially wanted to grow.
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?
No, definitely not, we would say it has been a very bumpy road filled with lots of learning curves for each of us. One of our first issues was getting compatible recording equipment, as well as finding the right fit as far as audio recording software. Another roadblock was finding the time to get together to record between three adults who all have other commitments.
Being a newer podcast that might be seen as “late to the game” to some, in a genre that was already quite saturated we knew we needed to differentiate ourselves from other podcasts. One way we did this was by launching a second episode per week, where listeners can send in their own stories, and we share their experiences on the podcast.
Although our journey has been a bit bumpy, the natural chemistry that has developed between the trio has made the experience worthwhile.
As you know, we’re big fans of Sofie’s Choice: Murders & Mysteries. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Sofie’s Choice: Murders & Mysteries podcast focuses on Sofie presenting a true crime or mystery story that she researches in depth beforehand, to her friends Mike and Gabbi. The stories range from high-profile cases and frequently speculated mysteries, all the way down to minimally publicized stories from around the world. Whether that be about murders or your local small-town legend and everything in between. Sofie goes out of her way to include a child abuse case once a month, due to her being a survivor of child abuse growing up. As well as indigenous cases presented by Gabbi, to increase awareness of missing and murdered indigenous peoples. Both women have personal experiences and ties to these two topics they strongly advocate for, Sofie with her childhood and Gabbi being Native American.
We also are really engaged with our listeners as we love to share their stories and hear their feedback for every single Mini Monday episode. The listeners tell us they feel like they’re a part of our friend group, but we truly feel like it’s a mutual companionship every time we get a new email written in. They’re able to share their own stories, ask us questions, and suggest new cases to look into. Walking the fine line as a true crime, mystery, and comedy podcast, we add a light-hearted atmosphere when discussing the darker side of humanity.
What were you like growing up?
Sofie grew up on the east coast as a southern New Hampshire girl, the eldest of 11. She moved to the Midwest for a marketing job after two years of college where she grew to love the Minneapolis-Metro area. Always an outgoing little girl, she was always running off talking to strangers and making friends wherever she went. Mike grew up in the Plymouth area, one of three children, he was a chatterbox of a child always wanting to entertain friends and family and telling stories wherever he went.
He loved to meet new people, just wanting to make them laugh or smile. Mike also loved to tinker and discover how exactly things worked. Gabbi, the eldest of five, grew up in the North Metro area of Minneapolis. She was a multi-sport athlete all while growing up, competing in gymnastics, figure skating, and dance. She loved school all while growing up, especially math and science, which eventually led to her later becoming a chemical engineer.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/sofieschoicepodcast
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sofieschoicepodcast?_t=8WF2lYbMgYg&_r=1
