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Charlie Birney
Co-Founder of Podville Media ★ Podcast & Media Consultant ★ Co-Author “Podcasting Made Simple” 🎙 Creator at @podcastsketchbook ✏️
Charlie Birney is the Co-Founder of Podville Media, a podcast and media production company based in Washington, DC.13 He is a passionate advocate for podcasting and has extensive experience in the industry. Here are some key details about Charlie Birney:
Professional Background
- Co-founded Podville Media (formerly Podcast Village) in 20123
- Worked for 27 years as a property manager and project manager at The Brick Companies1
- Served as President of the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) from 2007 to 20093
- Held the position of President of the Maryland Tourism Council from 1998 to 20003
Podcasting Experience
- Author of "The Tao of Podcasting" and co-author of "Podcasting Made Simple"3
- Hosted the NGCOA Golf Business Podcast from 2019 to 20213
- Co-hosted the Launch Podcast from 2014 to 20173
Personal Details
Education
- Graduated from Roanoke College with a BA in Religion and Philosophy3
- Attended St. Albans School in Washington, DC for high school3
Charlie Birney is known for his innovative approach to podcasting and media production, emphasizing the importance of listening and the "silence before the sound" in the podcasting process.3
Highlights
Reading Aloud and Repetition
How many times does something have to be repeated before it really sinks in? You may have heard various answers, like the "rule of seven" or the "rule of 15," meaning that something must be repeated that many times before it is retained.
Years ago I mentioned the "rule of 15" to the twin's first-grade teacher. She turned and glared at me with such stern seriousness that I felt I was back in school. "Mr. Birney,… it is 50!"
I realized immediately that she was dead serious. In her experience it took repeating something 50 times for those adorable first graders to remember what she was teaching.
In this spirit - this is only the second time here and don’t worry I am not going to make 50 posts about this - I want to reiterate the virtues of reading aloud. I have previously shared that I read the complete Mary Poppins series aloud to my 94-year-old mother. We have since done the two Winnie The Pooh books and today we finished "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame. It had been many years since I had revisited the adventures of Mole, Water Rat, Toad, and Badger. Mom and I talked about the adventures, laughed at the wonderful sketches by Ernest Shepard and generally had a great time. It was way better than the Hallmark movies….
So the purpose of this post is simple: to emphasize the benefits of reading aloud—to your parents, your children, your friends, or even to yourself. In a world brimming with technology of course artificial intelligence, reading aloud remains a vital way to enhance our communication skills. I can't fully explain why it feels so good, but I know from that I learn a little extra when I read aloud.
Next up for mom and me, we think, will be "Dr. Dolittle." I'd love to hear what you are reading aloud and your thoughts.
Happy Sunday!
Last note: as usual, I have sketched something to accompany my thoughts. This is hardly up to the standards of Ernest Shepard, but I hope you will like it. I couldn’t take a selfie of me holding a book and reading aloud! Next time..
#ReadingAloud #BookLovers #ReadtoLead
