Sounds Stylish: Here’s Where Some Of The Top Female Podcasters Are Recording

According to Chartable, podcast downloads have increased significantly during the pandemic, so there is more pressure than ever for podcasters to deliver premium content. Creating that authentic connection, whether it is through interviews, long-ranted solo episodes, or dynamic conversations amongst co-hosts, means recording in a space that sets the right mood yet is conducive good sound quality. From a studio with a padded sound booth to chic home offices and stylish living rooms, here’s where some of the most popular female podcasters are currently recording their shows along with the inspiration behind their design choices.

Anna David Of Launch Pad

Author, podcaster, and founder of Launch Pad Publishing, Anna David is just as serious about sound as she is about the color pink. Launch Pad Publishing is a boutique company that helps thought leaders and entrepreneurs publish books. One of the services provided is helping their authors, which include Alexis Haines, Joe Gorga, Courtney Friel, and Emily Lynn Paulson, record audiobooks for the Audible platform. “When I found out that the audiobook industry generated over a billion dollars in 2019, I started looking around for places where my clients could record their audiobooks,” David tells me. “There was a dearth of options, and I live in LA where there are probably more sound studios than anywhere else.”

So, she decided to turn the bottom floor of her Hollywood home, which is approximately 400 square feet into a recording studio. She hired LA Vocal Booths to create a state of the art booth for the corner of the room. Unlike podcasts on ApplePodcasts and other platforms, Audible has incredibly strict sound requirements for their books. “You don’t know whether or not they’ve approved your audiobook until you’ve recorded the whole thing. So, my booth has serious wall padding.”

David then hired Mike Dawson who helps Adam Carolla record his podcast and audiobooks to advise on the equipment. But while she created, as she says, a sound nerd’s dream— wall padding, while essential for this purpose, is anything but aesthetically pleasing. 

However, the pandemic gave the entrepreneur plenty of time to decorate. “It all started when I bought a pink desk,” she says. “You wouldn’t have thought this was a big moment, but it turned out to be a serious gateway thing: it looked so cute that I felt like it needed a friend in the form of a pink chair.”

Then David went wild with color. “Next thing you know I was buying pink staplers and scissors and painting the bench, cabinet, and table in the room pink. I even reached out to LA Vocal Booths and asked them to create a new pink panel for the back of the booth.”

Decorating in a mix of high and low, she put a vintage Herman Miller chair at the desk where the sound engineer sits along with a puffy pink chair and desk from Overstock inside the booth. “I then got a pink nursery rug I found on Etsy for outside the booth. I also went a little nuts with pink accessories from Daiso: notebooks, pens, pads. That, too, was a slippery slope: now every time I’m out and see anything pink, I try to incorporate it.”

David felt so inspired, she even redecorated the adjacent bathroom with pink towels and hand soap, as well as gave the space a fun moniker, “The Pink Pad.”

Jackie Schimmel Of The Bitch Bible

The Bitch Bible on Dear Media is one of the most popular comedy podcasts. Anything but basic, host Jackie Schimmel’s home studio truly reflects her delightfully snarky personality. While she has the option of recording at the Dear Media studio in the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, it’s far from where she lives. “I’ve always preferred to podcast from home even pre-pandemic,” she tells me. “I love that I can go downstairs in my heinous geriatric pajamas at 6:00 am, have a verbal purge alone, and then just go have a bagel in my kitchen like it’s nothing. It’s all my favorite smells, it’s dark, it’s soundproof thank God, those walls have been through a lot and I appreciate the safety net they provide me.” 

Every item she keeps on her desk adds a personal touch. “Most things in my office are gifts from best friends or family. I have about eight professional portraits of my dog, lots of candles always, Palo Santo to cleanse, a bedazzled middle finger figurine from my childhood best friend that says it all, also lots of weird disco lights just because.”

But the room would not be complete without a luxurious Diptyque candle. “I am Baies kind of bitch. The juxtaposition of the elegant scent and my wildly explicit language is the metaphor of my existence.”

As for anyone else trying to create a space that allows them to embrace their unique personality, Schimmel says, “Surround yourself with things you love all the time, podcasting or not.”

Amber-Lee Lyons Of Chakra Girl Radio

Creating a space with positive energy is essential to Amber-Lee Lyons, host and creator of the podcast Chakra Girl Radio. She records in her home office, which features a desk from West Elm and art from Society6 along with an abundance of spiritual objects. “All my crystals, candles, and Goddesses are from local spiritual shops and from my travels,” she tells me.

But perhaps the most noteworthy feature of the room is a breathtaking view of the English Bay in Vancouver. “I see the ocean and the most beautiful pastel sunset.”

Lyons meditates in the space every morning using her windowsill as an alter. All objects were intentionally chosen to help manifest her dreams into fruition. “I have a ton of crystals and multiple Goddesses that represent different energies, such as Lakshmi, the Goddess of abundance, Kuan Yin, the Goddess of compassion and kindness, and Durga the Goddess of fierceness and feminine power. I direct my energy towards the crystals and the Goddesses that I want to embody that day.”

Every object helps to create a Zen environment perfect for working and recording her show. “From my shelf of self-development books and designer bags to my altar, crystals, and Goddesses, I have multiple beautiful representations of the many versions of myself I embody. I feel whole and complete in my office.”

Fran Moore Of Franly Advice

Fran Moore records her entrepreneurship-focused podcast Franly Advice from her home office.

Choosing the perfect desk helped to establish the ideal environment for Moore to work and record. “I picked this desk to make sure there was enough space for the microphone and the interface to sit on my desk during the day while I am working but easy to access to record another episode at any moment. Everything is ready to go, all I have to do is plug the USB cord into my laptop and press record.”

Purchasing the right equipment was also very important to the podcaster and business owner because it allows her to record in her current workspace, which is located in a loft. So getting the sound right can be challenging. “My microphone is dynamic so I no longer have to sit in the closet to block out the echo and noise around me. The easy access to everything on my desk makes it so much easier to transition from running my business to recording an episode without leaving my desk and worrying about the setup,” she tells me.

Moore’s style is minimalist and clean. It also reflects how she chooses to live her life, as a Christian. The trendy letter board on the wall features an inspirational quote from the Bible. “It is stated over and over again that as we are transformed into being more like Christ each day so we go from ‘glory to glory,’ as we grow in Christ. Psalm 37:4 is just a reminder that God wants to give us the desires of our hearts.”

Krista Williams And Lindsey Simcik Of Almost 30

Recording in a beautifully designed environment that aligns with the purpose of the podcast is essential to what Almost 30 is about. “We wanted our podcast guests and team to feel that special something every time they are in the space. Having a comfortable, inviting, interesting studio space has created a container for us and for our guests to have meaningful conversations and connect on a deeper level,” the hosts tell me. 

Simcik and Williams feel the chic design of Almost 30 HQ, helps them record a better show. “Have you ever walked into a space and instantly felt the time, love, and thought that was put into it? You just feel the difference, right? Because the space is so cozy and tailored for us and our guests, we never have to worry about feeling uncomfortable or distracted by our surroundings.”

One of the most noticeable design features of the room is the wallpaper, which is sourced from Hygge & West. Lighting from Mitzi and Hudson Valley Lighting not only brightens things up, but also provides a charming accent. Mitzi is Hudson Valley’s accessible line and recently became available for purchase by the manufacturer online. 

The hosts call the Joybird seating, the comfiest of all time. “Never underestimate the power of a comfortable chair when in conversation.”

Designed by Dani Nagel of Dazey LA, who also created the custom artwork, Simcik and Williams tell me, “She took us out of our design comfort zone and allowed the spirit of Almost 30 to come through in every room. She’s curious, playful, expressive, thoughtful, and wants to make an impact.”

Almost 30 HQ is a true reflection of how far the show has come. “We started recording our podcast four years ago on our messy closet floors and now we have this beautiful, incredibly special, and personal space to work in. This helps us channel our creativity and express ourselves authentically. For all of us, the spaces we work and live in can bring us joy, calm, and inspiration.”