Studio Ochenta’s Originals: More with Lory Martinez

When I recently spoke to Lory Martinez, she called from Paris, the home of Studio Ochenta. Last Friday’s article on Mija podcast depicts just one focus of her career, which spans years of multilingual podcast production. As the founder and CEO of the studio, which includes Ochenta Productions and Ochenta Originals, she’s a deeply involved multitasker.

Before our talk, Martinez had just finished recording some ads for upcoming podcast projects. We dove into two fresh original shows, Wine School Dropout and How Not to Travel.

The short, educational podcast Wine School Dropout launched in mid-October. Hosted by wine consultant and blogger Tanisha Townsend (Girl Meets Glass), its goal is to give listeners a new way to approach Wine 101.

Developed in Paris, it’s the result of exploring “the best way to teach people about wine — think of it as Cliff’s Notes,” Martinez tells me. It’s “researched content where we try to explain things in a way that people can understand.” Considering that Ochenta shows are produced in Spanish, English, and French, making a podcast on wine is no simple project. Martinez explains,

“Representing wine in a way that’s accessible to all is a challenge. Trying to create it so that when you listen to it in Spanish and in French, when the French have a completely different wine culture — There's a different challenge there in creating that lesson. It’s super interesting.”

Inclusivity and accessibility are at the heart of Ochenta’s work. How Not to Travel, launching November 1, is about our mistakes as well-meaning adventurers. Hosted by travel influencer Dr. Kiona, author of the blog “How Not To Travel Like A Basic B*tch,” the podcast is about being mindful.

“We wanted to show how when people travel, they don’t consider certain things about local culture,” says Martinez. “We got a few different voices that I’m really excited to share.” In each narrative episode, Dr. Kiona will explain the topic’s background before building its story.

Some stories build directly on the title of Dr. Kiona’s blog, to the benefit of everyone. Martinez is looking forward to sharing its actionable guidance. “One [episode I’m excited about is on social media and travel.

We’re going to be talking about the problems with ‘doing it for the gram.’ There’s a specific case where an indigenous population was affected by someone geo-tagging a location, but that’s all I can say without giving away the podcast.”

The philosophy of Ochenta's shows is above all thoughtful and deliberate. As Martinez tells me, “I think when creating content for global audiences, we have to consider these kinds of things. It’s not just food. You can talk about anything from the angle of, ‘Your listener is not just where you are. It’s not just local.’

Podcasting is a global medium and your listener can be discovering your podcast because they looked up wine, or looked up New York City. That’s their introduction to the culture and you have to be conscious about the way you’re representing something. I think that’s so powerful.”

The teaser for How Not to Travel goes live today, October 25. Check out Wine School Dropout, Mija, and more from Studio Ochenta.

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