Gilded Audio to close

The below is a newsletter from Gilded Audio, send by Gilded Audio’s Managing Director, Whitney Donaldson, which we’re reproducing here.

Hello!

I tend toward a long preamble, so let me just get the big update out: Gilded Audio is closing up shop.

Working at and leading this studio has been a decade-long education in — among much else — small business. Figuring out how to close one down is, without a doubt, the strangest lesson yet.

Making the decision was hard and multifaceted, but ultimately, it was the right one. Navigating the podcasting wilds through Gilded has been exhilarating, challenging, and rewarding — and it’s time to shake things up.

If you’re a recipient of this illustrious and infrequent newsletter, you’ve probably listened to, collaborated with, hired, or otherwise supported Gilded Audio over the years — from the days of Andy and Dan at marionette-filled 20 Jay Street, to the zoom-heavy, Chicago-leaning era. Whatever the case or connection, I’m looking you in the proverbial eye when I say with the deepest sincerity: thank you.

My strongly biased point of view is that Gilded was something special. We produced shows I’m profoundly proud of, many of which shared urgent, complex stories and perspectives with the world. We made many more still that were a pure blast to create – that excellent production cocktail of adrenaline, efficiency, and glee (the heads know what I’m talking about). Without any hesitation though, the source of my greatest satisfaction over the years has been the people Gilded brought together and the community we were able to foster in our own little pocket of the industry.

Andrew, Dan, Nick, Samiah, Ivana, Sara, Nicki, Ben, Stephen, Kelsey, Gemma, Olivia, Mark, and Carl – all great talents, dedicated teammates, and kind friends. If you get a chance to work with any of them, jump on it. And a formidable roster, far too long to list, of freelancers, hosts, clients, and partners. Building and running an independent production company with all of you, through the wild, wobbly explosion of podcasting, was insane and insanely fun. We came a long way, and I’d like to think we cut a path that some other intrepid team with a bit of a cheeky streak can follow.

I also clearly tend toward the sentimental, so I’ll get on with it. Thanks again, thanks for reading this, and please, drop me a note anytime. This email address will be active for a while, and you can reach me at (redacted for publication). I’d love to chat and hear what’s up with you these days.

Whitney