HAWLEY, PA — There is no denying that the podcast industry has been on rise these past few years. According to www.backlinko.com, there are over half a billion podcast listeners worldwide, and over 55 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 and up listen to a podcast at least once a month. Podcasts are unique in that they can be recorded anywhere, so people can even find local podcasts. One of the most successful local podcasts here in northeastern PA is HarmonyTALK.

According to its website, HarmonyTALK “showcases inspiring conversations with Dreamers and Doers who have turned their dreams into reality—often against great odds.” With its three hosts (Lisa Champeau, Todd Stephens and Greg Frigoletto) the podcast drops on Wednesdays with a new guest every week. These guests come from all walks of life, with each guest bringing their own individual, inspiring story.

I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Lisa Champeau, who has hosted HarmonyTALK from the beginning. She has over 25 years of journalism experience, both in print media and in television, working as a TV newscaster and producer for many years in the New York, Baltimore and Scranton areas. Champeau eventually ended up in health care as the director of communications for Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale.

It was at this job that Champeau met Henry Skier. She described him as a long-time supporter of Wayne Memorial and a big proponent of promoting dreamers. Skier had previously created a video collection titled “In My Wildest Dreams,” which showcased stories of the successes and accomplishments of extraordinary people. At some point, Skier decided he wanted to share these stories via podcast format, and he approached Champeau to see if she would like to be involved.

In 2021, Champeau and Skier launched the podcast. Around the same time, Skier was also launching Harmony in the Woods, an outdoor concert venue in Hawley. Both the podcast and the concert venue are part of the Foundation for Harmony Presents, a larger charitable organization. The main goal of the charity is to inspire growth both individually and throughout the community through the performing arts, cultural experiences and educational opportunities for all ages. Therefore, the first HarmonyTALK podcast interview was with the first-ever band to perform at Harmony in the Woods, the Gold Magnolias.

As the podcast and its viewership began to grow, Champeau and Skier decided to try and expand by bringing in two more hosts. The first guest host added was Todd Stephens, a northeastern PA native with a rich and diverse background in broadcasting. Greg Frigoletto, the current superintendent of the Wayne Highlands School District, is the newest host addition. Each host brings something a little bit different to the podcast, which is one of the reasons they make a great team, Champeau said.

She also mentioned that just a few months ago, the podcast was able to partner with WVIA (the NPR station in northeastern PA). Episodes will play on their station each Sunday at 4:30 p.m. The trio hopes to expand and do a video along with the podcast in the future.

Listening to the podcast, one can tell that each guest is important and impressive in their own way. Some are local, whereas others are from across the country, or even from across the globe. “It’s been a real spectrum,” Champeau said. “[Guests] have been all ages and all sorts of career paths.” She also explained that guests are chosen in a variety of ways. Some guests reach out to the podcast themselves, but most of the time it is the podcast that reaches out to them.

When asked if there were any episodes or guests that really stuck with her, Champeau had a few in mind. One was Peter Bohlin, a renowned architect who currently resides in the Scranton area. “It was one of my favorite interviews,” Champeau said. “He designed all of the Apple stores, the iconic cube in New York City, the barn at Falling Waters, so he is internationally known. I learned so many wonderful things in that interview. For example, he worked with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. He said one of his secrets to working with them was to accommodate rather than to compromise, and I love that.” 

Another one of her favorite interviews was with Rebecca Davis, who started a foundation called “Mind Leaps” that uses dance to raise children out of poverty and homelessness in post-conflict countries. “Her interview really resonated with me because she was just so genuine,” Champeau said.

When asked why the stories told on the podcast are important for listeners to hear, Champeau said that the mission of the podcast is to inspire people. “To dream and fulfill their dreams, so we interview guests who have done just that… It’s inspiring because every one of our guests, even though they pursued their particular field, they all pretty much have the same message, which is ‘Just pursue it. Don’t let yourself down. You can get through the humps.’”

Given her successful media background, I wanted to know if Champeau had any advice for someone trying to break into a career in media. “Well, it’s a very competitive field, and I will say that if you are interested in storytelling, whether it be for a podcast or writing for a newspaper, I think you just have to be passionate about it and be willing to learn.” She also suggested finding a mentor. “It might be somebody that you can meet in person, like a teacher, or it might be someone who you can just read [their work]. I would also say to do stories that you are interested in… if you work on a story that you might not be interested in, find something in the story that interests you.”

Finally, Champeau wanted to encourage people to listen to the podcast. “It’s positive, and in this day and age, it’s nice to listen to something positive.” 

For more information regarding the podcast or to listen to past episodes, visit www.harmonytalkpodcast.com.