A three-day leadership bootcamp for experienced podcast producers and editors will address the challenges of transitioning into management roles without formal training, according to course materials from SoundPath, a project of the Association of Independents in Radio.
The course, taught by Mia Lobel, executive producer of podcasts at Slate, runs Tuesday evenings from September 29 through October 13, 2026. Lobel will share strategies for navigating team dynamics, power structures, and the competing demands of content production and personnel management across the six-hour program.
The bootcamp targets mid to senior-level producers and editors who have been explicitly placed in management positions or have become “managers by default” within their organizations. According to course materials, many experienced production professionals lack formal management training despite increasing expectations to oversee team members.
Lobel brings extensive experience to the instruction. She currently serves as executive producer of podcasts at Slate and previously headed content at Pushkin Industries, where she developed popular shows including “Revisionist History,” “Against the Rules,” “Broken Record,” and “Deep Cover.” She has taught at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and serves on the board of directors of the Association of Independents in Radio. Lobel holds degrees from Wesleyan University and UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.
Participants will learn to acknowledge the challenges inherent in management, establish intentional structures for team meetings and one-on-one sessions, practice listening techniques, create management boundaries, and recognize management as a creative endeavor. The course also addresses self-forgiveness and recognizing personal management shortcomings.
The course is available to members of AIR at an early-bird rate of $250, with regular member pricing at $300. Non-member registration costs $400. Payment plans are available. The course is offered through SoundPath, the online learning platform operated by the Association of Independents in Radio. According to course materials, the class has previously sold out.
AIR is a nonprofit organization that supports independent audio producers and public radio professionals.
