We had the good fortune of connecting with Steve Koch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Steve, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking is an unavoidable part of life. I believe it’s an essential part of growth, both personal and professional. Taking calculated risks has led me to both unexpected opportunities and significant hardships but all of which has helped me to grow and learn.

  

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
After years of working in unscripted television and taking a big risk to move my family to the USA from Australia to take on an executive producer role for a faith-based cable network, I was suddenly made redundant when the network could no longer support itself financially and shut down. With hopes of getting back into my reality television roots and working in Los Angeles, which had always been a dream of mine, I applied for job after job. After months of hearing nothing back, I felt depressed and frustrated and decided to switch my efforts to a little side hustle I had started during the pandemic of podcast producing. I fell in love with the creative process and working with so many different types of clients that I made it a full-time business in 2022.

I have brought my unscripted storytelling passion to the work of audio podcasts, and I love this new playground I get to play in.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My family and I have fallen in love with Disneyland, but the kinda of Disneyland where there is no pressure to do everything and see everything (a kind of pressure that can only be removed with a very expensive annual pass). so I would help them experience this kind of Disneyland.

And tacos, I’d take them for tacos, the cheap fast food ones and the authentic expensive ones too.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife, Chelsea has been on this journey with me. We have made decisions together to take risks at certain times and stay put and be safe at other times.

Website: https://www.vandalpop.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevekochproducer/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.